Under The Stars
by Safi Kittykat
Summary: EPILOGUE UP! Isn't it GRAND? Summary: In a single moment of bravery, Manny captures Ellie’s heart, once and for all. He offers her love, security, and a family. What could be better? MannyEllie, obviously. R&R?
1. She Completes You

Under the Stars

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age, Ice Age II, or any of the characters. They belong to Blue Sky Studios and Twentieth Century Fox. The names Millie and Wallace (Wally for short) belong to Funkywatermelon. I suppose anything else belongs to me. Go ahead and use whatever you want, just mention my name please!

Summary: In a single moment of bravery, Manny captures Ellie's heart, once and for all. He offers her love, security, and a family. What could be better?

Author's Note: (you can skip this if you want) Sorry there's so much junk before the story. I just want to say really quickly, thanks SO MUCH to Funkywatermelon! You inspired me incredibly, more than you could believe. I finally did get to see the new Ice Age Meltdown movie and it was AWESOME. I loved the expression on Manny's face right as the water came up. So full of love and concern for Ellie more than it was fear of death. So combine those two things together, and you have an insane fanatic who just wants to help others see the joy in the Ice Age movies. Ok, this IS my first fic, so PLEASE R&R, but no flames please . . . OK, ON TO THE STORY!

Chapter One: "She Completes You"

They're the perfect couple, thought Diego. He looked at the two mammoths holding each other tightly. They had been in the valley for only three days, but it was obvious that by now they were head-over-heels for each other.

Crash and Eddie were both bouncing around the poor saber. He wasn't annoyed, however. Within the few days of them traveling together, he had actually grown to like the rodents.

"Aren't they cute?" asked Crash, clasping his hands together.

"Yeah," Eddie said, nodding in approval of his sister's choice for a mate. A sly smile formed at the corner of his mouth. "You're next Diego!"

"Whoa no," he said. "There isn't any way."

"Aww, sure there is," said Crash, hopeful and inspired by Eddie's idea. "We'll help you!" And without another word, the two rushed off, glancing back every few seconds to see if Diego was following. He chuckled a bit, then turned his head back toward Manny and Ellie, still embracing.

---

"I really love you, you know," Manny whispered in Ellie's ear. "I hope you never forget that." Ellie laughed lightly.

"I love you too," whispered Ellie. Manny pulled back, unsure of what to say next. "What's wrong, Manny?" she asked, gently.

"I don't know," he said, unsure. "We finally found each other, but what comes between this and being partners? I don't want to rush into anything." He paused, remembering the previous occurrence in which he had mentioned the subject. "Like last time," he added. A small look of shame crossed his face.

"Oh, honey," she said softly. "Don't worry. I'm ready for it this time." Manny smiled happily. She smiled back with a smile only Manny could interpret.

---  
---

:Sorry this is so short readers! I really wanted to meet the deadline of May 1st for Funkywatermelon, and I hope you all liked it... I promise I'll finish it, but it might take some time... I'm working on Chapter two as I write this... "What Ho? A Foe?"

And for any of you great writers out there, here's an idea for you: Why was Manny so grumpy at his entrance in the first movie? That's what I would really like to know! I might write about that someday, but I want to finish this before I start another project. SOMEBODY ELSE WRITE ABOUT IT FOR ME! I really want to know why he was upset!

Thanks again Funkywatermelon for everything! I want to be part of your MannieEllie community please!


	2. A Mammal That Cares

Chapter Two: "A Mammal That Cares"

Disclaimer: I don't own Ice Age or anything related to it. Blue Sky Studios and Twentieth Century Fox does. Don't own Millie or Wallace either, Funkywatermelon does.

The sun was just rising over the hilltops. Diego was up already and was trying to wake Manny so they could talk quietly, and alone for a few minutes.

"Manny," he whispered. "Manny, wake up."

"What do you want?" he whispered, so as not to wake up Sid and the rest of their small herd. Eddie rolled over in his sleep. Diego motioned for Manny to follow him.

Manny carefully stood up and walked out of the cave so he could talk. They walked toward the watering hole, where they stopped to get a drink. Neither had said anything on the way there, so Diego finally broke the silence.

"Look, Manny," he said. He paused, trying to think the right way to say what was on his mind. "I know that it has been... Hard for you. But you've seen to come a long way. You've got yourself a great girlfriend. But I think that time might still be running out."

"What do you mean?" asked Manny. "Until what?" Diego looked to the ground.

"I mean... Well, I know we saw all those other mammoths a few days ago. But they were headed exactly where we came from. And nothing is in that direction." He paused, hoping the right words would come to him. "And while I don't think that you and Ellie are the last mammoths, I'm sure you're not, I just don't think that you should... Waste time... Like you are," he said. He waited for the worst, thinking Manny would take it offensively.

But nothing happened. Manny looked at him blankly. He turned to go without saying anything else. He didn't want to pressure Ellie again. Not after before. He knew that he hurt her then, and he loved her too much to hurt her again. Even though she had said she was ready, he wanted to be sure this time.

"Manny," he called. "Please don't take it the wrong way. I'm happy for you! Really. You needed to move on. And you have. But think of it like this: You love her. You need to ask her. Before she gets away."

"I... I don't know what to say to her," he said. "And why are you giving me advice, Mr. Single? I don't see you with a girlfriend." Diego let out a light laugh.

"I used to have one," he said, sadly. "I know how it feels though, to have what you have. And then it gets taken away before you do anything. But it shouldn't be any trouble talking to her. Just go with what comes to you, what feels right. If you really love her, like I know you do, then talk to her." He paused, looking Manny straight in the eye.

"Look, Diego," he started.

"I know that what I used to have doesn't even compare to what you used to have. But I do know that if you don't do something soon, you could lose her, just like..." he let the sentence trail, not wanting to finish it.

---

Ellie yawned and stretched out her muscles. Crash and Eddie both did the same. They ran over to Sid and started jumping around and over him. Ellie walked out and trumpeted good morning to the valley. Manny and Diego still hadn't returned from their little outing.

"Good morning!" said Ellie happily when Sid came finally came outside. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," he said. He started walking but stopped short. "Ready for what?" Ellie giggled.

"We're moving further south today!" she said happily. The little group, now that they were out of danger, traveled slower than before. They had decided that they would stay in the same place for about two days before they walked onward. Ellie seemed to like the pace, more so than Manny.

Sid started to walk again, but stopped short, again.

"Aren't we gonna wait for Manny and Diego?" he asked, confused. Before Ellie could say yes, Crash and Eddie bounded ahead, laughing the whole time.

Ellie called after them to stop and wait, but they were too far ahead to hear her. With no choice, she followed them. She wasn't about to let anything happen to them.

Ellie and Sid walked further and further away, trying to catch up with the possums, not realizing how far they were going.

---

Manny and Diego came back to the cave. Unfortunately, it had given the rest of their herd nearly an hour of a head start. The two panicked, not sure of what to do first. Diego toyed with the idea of just staying behind, hoping they would come back. But Manny was to concerned to just do nothing.

"Hey," said Manny. "You can track them down, right?"

"Sure," he replied, unenthusiastically. "But if something happens to them before we get there..."

"Nothing will happen," Manny interrupted, sure of himself. Diego and Manny started to follow after them, slowly, but surely. Manny prayed the whole way there that nothing would happen to Ellie. He wished for the chance to ask her, since he hadn't done it already.

---

Ellie, Sid, Crash, and Eddie were all eventually together in one place. It wasn't until then, near dusk, that the four realized what trouble they were in. They decided to stay the night near the water hole, just in case.

Manny and Diego were forced to stay the night under some trees. They were still only about forty five minutes or so away from them, but that was still a long ways to go.

I hope Ellie made them stop for the night, thought Manny. We'll never catch them if they didn't. He cared for her. He _really_ cared for her. More than anyone else could know. Not being able to think of anything else, Manny finally fell asleep, worried about his herd, and his true love.

---

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A/N: (This is the boring stuff I have to say now that I'm done writing. I'll understand if you don't want to read it.) There you go! Chapter two is finally up! I just finished Chapter Three. I'm sooo excited! I hope this was long enough for you! If not, just let me know! I love getting reviews! I sit at school during first hour and look at them and it really makes my day! Thanks to all my reviewers! (Including my FIRST EVER REVIEWER, Laurie Eve, thanks so much! You rock!) And thanks (again) to Funkywatermelon for letting me be in your community! I seriously almost cried, I was so happy.

Sorry too, I had said that this chapter would be called "What Ho, A Foe?" but then it didn't work out that way. But the next chapter WILL be called that, so now you have something to look forward to, now that I've got it all worked out. :) R&R if you want to... Accepting flames now, lol. Thanks again everybody!


	3. What Ho, A Foe?

Chapter Three: "What Ho, A Foe?"

Disclaimer: Ice Age and stuff belong to Blue Sky Studios and Twentieth Century Fox. (I can't say that enough, its so fun!) Millie and Wallace (yes, you will meet them, just be patient) belong to Funkywatermelon. (Who, btw, I am a big fan of...)

---

Sunrise, thought Manny. Ellie loves sunrises. She just never wakes up in time to see them. He knew that Ellie would still be sleeping. She almost always slept late. The thought hit him hard.

"Diego!" he said, too loudly for early morning.

"What?" he asked, irritated at being woken up so early, and rudely.

"I have an idea!" he said. "Ellie sleeps late, right?" Diego merely nodded his answer. "So if we leave early, like right now, maybe we can catch up to them!"

"Duh," said Diego. Manny's brilliant idea suddenly seemed like just common sense. He sighed. It's hard to think straight when you don't know where half of your family is. They stretched out their legs, took a morning drink, and moved on without breakfast.

---

Ellie woke up slowly. Being without Manny's warmth, she didn't sleep as late as usual. She looked around her and saw all three friends still sleeping.

This is good, she thought. Now if Manny could just find us before we get in bigger trouble. She knew that something was bound to go wrong. After all, she did have two uncontrollable brothers traveling with her.

After only a minute of her shuffling her feet, Crash and Eddie both woke up too. Sid slept through anything, so her feet didn't phase him.

"Morning, sis!" said Crash, cheerily.

"Morning Crash!" said Eddie, matching his tone.

"Morning Eddie," he groaned back. Eddie looked offended, but he knew that Crash was just playing with him. Ellie laughed at the two.

"Good morning you guys," she said.

"Hey," said Eddie, the little light bulb turning on over his head. "Let's go find Diego a girl while he's not here!"

"Yeah, lets go!" agreed Crash.

"Not so fast!" yelled Ellie, grabbing the two with her trunk before they could get away again. "We have to stay here so Manny and Diego can actually find us."

"But Ellie!" Eddie protested. Crash didn't bother. He squirmed out of Ellie's grasp and dashed off, hoping to have some fun before Manny came back and ruined it all.

---

Diego sniffed the ground. He couldn't quite make out the scent. It seemed to him that it was something he had smelled awhile ago, back when he first met Manny and Sid.

"Something's wrong," came his conclusion, finally.

"What do you mean?" asked Manny, worriedly. "What could be wrong?"

"I mean, this is where they were, but someone's with them... Or following them." He put his nose back to the ground. Manny felt helpless. He didn't know where to even start. His only hope was that Diego was wrong. For once.

---

It wasn't long before everything made sense to her. First the yelling in the distance. Second, Crash running at her, full speed. His mixed and jumbled words didn't serve as any help to her whatsoever. She looked down at him, trying to maybe read his lips.

"They... Up... Spheeww... And... Eerrewww... Grr... Help... JUST RUN!" was all she could make out. Sound effects weren't helpful to her there. She never heard of a creature that made those noises.

She looked up. Just around the corner, she saw them. She saw what Crash was talking about. She grabbed Sid and threw him on her back without asking questions and ran for her life.

Manny had told her about these guys. He had told her how they had ruined his life before. She knew how harmful they could be. She knew that they weren't nice, especially if they had those sticks with them. She ran as fast as she could from them. From the humans.

---

"I see them!" cried Diego. He could see in the distance a mammoth with a small creature on its back. It could only be Ellie and Sid. Manny's face lit up at the sight of Ellie. They both started running over to them. Ellie's worried and panicked trumpet stopped them in their tracks. Now they _knew_ something was wrong.

"Ellie!" called Manny. He could see that she was cornered up against a wall, but he could not figure out why. She trumpeted again, hoping for a miracle.

Diego glanced around and saw footprints in the mud. Looking slightly to his left, he could see some movement behind all the trees. All too soon, he realized what was happening.

"Humans!" he shouted. "They're attacking them! We gotta do something!" Diego didn't wait to see what Manny would say. He ran off to try and protect his herd. He wouldn't stand to lose his family again. Not to humans. "Manny, come on!"

Manny froze. Humans... He thought back to his old family. The one that had been taken from him long ago by them.

"MANNY!" screamed Diego, barely glancing at him. The mammoth couldn't move. He was frozen in a trance. And his new family was being attacked.

---

---

Hey there readers! If you've gotten this far in the story, well thanks! No one has ever really read any of my writing so I'm really nervous about posting this whole thing. But I've gotten great reviews so far, so I'm really excited at the same time! I'm gonna start Chapter five soon, but I'll be busy all week. I don't know what to callChapter foureither. I don't want to just name it "the flashback" (b/c that's what it is) I'm trying to keep a theme of my titles as quotes from the movies. And I don't know what to call my next chapter, but you do know what to expect! **ANY SUGGESTIONS? PLEASE?**So... On I go to dream of Manny and Ellie and my story... Bye everybody!

r&r?

oh, btw: does anyone know what DiegoOC or SLASH or SidOC or anything mean? I guess I don't know the termanology yet. :)


	4. And He's Got A Family

Chapter Four: "And He's Got A Family"

Disclaimer: Ice Age belongs to Blue Sky Studios and Twentieth Century Fox. Millie and Wallace (FINALLY YOU MEET THEM) belong to Funkywatermelon (the one who originally inspired this whole story, thanks again). I would say everything else belongs to me, but I didn't really add anything of my own, so...

Quick A/N: Yeah, this was _really_ hard for me to write this chapter. I hope it was at least ok for you. Plus, I didn't really get the transition right. At least I don't think so. And as for Millie and Wallace, I'm sorry I kept putting them in the disclaimer the whole time, but I figured, better safe than sorry. Ok, here we go!

---

It was all coming back to him, seeing his new family in trouble like that. Time seemed to slow down. All the horrors of that day came pouring into his head all at once.

_The sun was high in the sky and the birds were chirping their songs. Manfred knew something was about to happen. He just didn't know what._

_He could see his mate, Millie, not too far off in the distance. Their son, Wallace, had gotten all muddy and she was trying to hose him down, with little success. Manfred walked over to them._

"_Were you playing in the mud hole again, Wally?" he asked, lovingly._

_The little mammoth glanced up at his father, smiled fakely, and giggled, "Maybe." Millie chuckled at her son's innocence._

"_You two," she smiled. "Don't you ever stop?" she asked, jokingly._

"_Because I'm all grown up and can do anything!" yelled Wallace, excitedly. The two parents both smiled._

"_Hey, Manfred," she said. "I have something to tell you." Manfred wondered if this was the 'something' he had been anticipating. Suddenly, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know what she had to say._

"_I'm all ears," he said, smiling at her. He loved her more than words could say. Millie took a deep breath._

"_Well," she started. "Do you remember that special day about six months ago?" Manfred thought back, but couldn't remember what was special about it. He shook his head._

"_I do!" piped up Wallace. "Wasn't it your anniversary?" Millie smiled and nodded._

"_It was. Four years," she said. She sighed, remembering the day._

"_So does that mean that you were married for three years when you had me?" asked Wallace, with an inquisitive look._

"_Yes, it does," said Manfred. He took his trunk and patted his son on the head. He looked back up at Millie. "What does that have to do with anything though?"_

"_That night," she said, slightly seductively. "Remember?" Manfred thought back and smiled as he remembered the romantic night they had._

"_I do now," he said. He reached out his trunkto hold her._

"_Eww!" interrupted Wallace. "Gross!" Manfred laughed wholeheartedly. He unlocked their trunks, for his son's sake._

"_Anyways," said Manfred, backing away from his mate. "Still, what does that have to do with anything?" She laughed lightly. She was obviously going to have to spell it out for him. She gently took his trunk in hers and moved it to her stomach. With just a little pressure, Millie saw Manfred's eyes light up. He could feel it._

"_Daddy," inquired Wallace. "What is Mommy doing to you?" Manfred's eyes started to water. "Is she hurting you, Daddy? Daddy?"_

_Manfred couldn't say anything. He was speechless._

"_Wally," said Millie. "I'm going to have a baby." Wallace realized what had been going on and he jumped for joy. He made a small trumpet and ran in circles._

"_I'm gonna be a brother! I'm gonna be a brother!" he chanted. He ran over to Manfred. The mammoth looked down at his lively son and hugged him. He started to run off to tell the others in their herd._

_Manny wrapped his trunk around Millie's and embraced her tightly._

"_Its going to be a girl," she said._

"_How could you know that?" asked Manfred. "It's too soon."_

"_I can just tell. A mother's instinct," she replied. They watched Wallace run into the distance. Before anything else could be said, Wallace's little trumpet could be heard. Manfred and Millie saw him start to run back in their direction._

"_Humans!" cried Millie, seeing the enimies. "Run!" She waited for Wallace to catch up to her, then dashed off for safety. Manfred turned to run after them, but stopped to try and fight off the humans._

_The spears came at him, and fast. He couldn't think quick enough to dodge all of them. He turned to run with his family, but the humans had already surrounded him. He saw Millie and Wallace surrounded by humans too. They had cornered them against a cliff. Millie didn't have her tusks anymore, and therefore couldn't defend herself, or Wallace. She trumpeted, hoping that Manfred could save her._

_He looked around, trying to think of a way to help. He looked up and saw more humans on top of the cliff. They were holding stones. Large stones. He sounded a warning to his wonderful, newly expectant mate and beloved son._

_But it was too late._

_His family was gone. Humans had taken them from him._

_It took a long time for him to fall asleep that night. The beautiful day had turned into a nightmare he would never wake from. He looked up at the sky. All he could do was think of how he couldn't do anything about it. He fell asleep, alone, under the stars._

---

---

This chapter was _not_ fun to write. I thought it would be becauseI've always wanted to write my own version of the cave drawings, and I finally got to. I cried writing it, and then cried rereading it. I know that's lame to cry at your own story, but hey... I hope it was at least ok for you all. I haven't started Chapter five yet, but it's going to be called: "That's What You Do In A Herd", thanks Funkywatermelon for the idea!

R&R please?


	5. That's What You Do In A Herd

Chapter Five: "That's What You Do In A Herd"

Disclaimer: I don't own Ice Age or anything related to it. Blue Sky Studios and Twentieth Century Fox does. (I'm going to type this in every chapter because its fun.) Millie and Wallace (who, I don't think, will be around anymore) belong to Funkywatermelon. (I will type this in every chapter too, because I like typing that too. I think that she deserves to be mentioned. If it wasn't for her this fic wouldn't even be around!)

---

He heard something in the distance. It was the sound of a mammoth trumpeting. He looked around, hoping for it to be Millie. But then he remembered. She was gone.

Then he remembered his new family. The ones that were in trouble NOW. He had only a second to come back to reality before he saw Diego being flung to the side. He hit his head hard on the cave that was trapping Ellie.

She saw him laying there and hoped that Manny was nearby. She looked around and saw him standing off to the side, frozen. She trumpeted again and again. What else could she do?

"Manny!" she screamed as loud as she could. "Manny! Help us!"

He wanted to move. But he couldn't. Seeing his past repeat itself was too much for him. He couldn't break free of the supernatural hold on him. Screams of "Manny" sounded from the whole group. His heart pounded so hard until it nearly stopped.

Fear isn't something he would ever admit to, but that's what he felt. He felt fear. Ellie trumpeted once more, and this time it sounded painful. That was enough for him. Enraged at what the humans were trying to do to him and angry that they had hurt his friend, he charged at them. He knew better than to try and come at them head on, like before. He came up behind them, picked up one and threw him off to the side. He hoped that would be enough to send the others away. But that only made them more mad.

Manny was afraid. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to help his family, they meant the world to him. He charged back again and knocked another one over. The humans wouldn't go without a battle. Their spears kept flying. If only there was some way to stop them!

Manny thought of the only thing he could do. Outsmart them. He ran up to the middle of the tribe and trumpeted. Then, as if in great pain and distress,he fell over. He lay very still, hoping his plan would work.

And it did. They all carefully walked over to him, giving the others a chance to escape. He knew what the humans would do next. He only hoped that he was strong enough to take it.

The leader reached up with his spear and aimed. Manny could feel the sharp stone being driven into his chest. He could feel the hate coming with it. He hoped his herd got away before they finished with him.

All the friends had gotten to safety, but could still see the battle from their new position across the sink hole they had gotten around. Ellie watched with horror, hoping it all to be a nightmare. She trumpeted, hoping to give him strength to fight them off.

Right when Manny thought it was over, he reached up with his trunk and, in one swift motion, grabbed all six humans and tightened his grip immensely. Their screams were terrible and soon were quiet. Manny tossed them aside. The three still alive ran off before the mammoth could kill them too.

Manny reached back to try and dislodge the spear from his side, without success. He didn't have much strength left. Endurance took a lot out of him. He laid his trunk to the ground, unable to hold it up anymore.

Ellie, panic-stricken, ran over to Manny, tears in her eyes. She nuzzled him and removed the spear. She was hysterical and couldn't find the right words to describe how she felt.

"Manny," she whispered, crying. "Why did you do that? You could've died! And the humans..."

"Ellie," he interrupted. "Shh... It's ok. It's ok." He reached up his trunk for hers.

"You risked your life for us!" she whispered in his ear as Sid walked up. "Why?"

"That's what you do in a herd," he said. It came as common sense now, even to Sid. The same thought hit him and Manny simultaneously.

"Diego!" cried Sid. He rushed over to their other fallen friend. Crash and Eddie were already at his side, as if just being there would somehow help.

---

---

Wow, I don't know what's come over me... I must be a terrible writer ifI can do that to one of my favorite characters! I **_LOVE_** Manny to _PIECES_ and I almost killed him! How could I do that? Well, I did need something to beat what was already used in the movie and this is whatI finally decided on... You should've seen all the brainstorming I did in my english journal... I hope my teacher isn't too mad that I was brainstorming instead of actually WRITING... lol... thanks again to all my WONDERFUL reviewers! I love you all so much and I can say, I would NOT continue this if it weren't for you guys... I hope I don't disappoint anyone!

Oh, and I'm about halfway done with chapter six... and i'm thinking of writing an epilogue after that... what do you think? R&R?

-Safi Kittykat Out-


	6. Because We Want To

Chapter Six: "Because We Want To"

I was gonna wait longer, to leave you hanging just a little more, but I was too excited to wait anymore. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Hmm... Let's do this backwards this time... Millie and Wallace (who aren't here anymore) belong to Funkywatermelon. Ice Age and etc. belong to Blue Sky Studios and Twentieth Century Fox.

A/N: I saw "Last Holiday" with Queen Latifah in it (the voice of Ellie) and every time she said something, I could SO picture Ellie saying it. Plus, I saw Ice Age II again... (For the third time) I only cried three times this time! Big improvement! Lol. On to the story!

---

Diego wasn't looking too good. Crash, Eddie, Sid, and Ellie were all hovering over him. Manny was still laying on the ground a few yards away, not yet able to move.

"Diego?" asked Sid, hoping for his buddy to be alright. "Diego!" he yelled louder. Diego lifted his head, slowly.

"Hey, Sid," he said. "I bet you wish we could do that every day, huh?"

"Diego, this is no time to joke," said Ellie. "Are you okay?"

"I'm about as good as Manny over there," he replied, managing to scramble to his paws and sit upright. He could feel one of those hated migraines coming on, and fast. At least he knew he would live.

Crash rushed over to Manny, sat on his left tusk, and looked him straight in the eye.

"You better make it," he said sternly, yet unoffensively. "Or else Ellie will be very sad. Don't hurt her, okay?" Manny thought of the beautiful mammoth he had fallen in love with. His eyes started to shine at the mention of her name. Crash noticed it, ran back over to Ellie and whispered in her ear.

Manny tried to roll back onto his feet and stand up. It was difficult, but when he suddenly felt Ellie next to him helping him up, it all seemed worth it.

"I'm glad you're going to be all right," she said. "I was really worried about you."

"Ellie," he said. "I need to ask you this now, before anything else happens." He stared into her eyes, desperately hopingthat Diego would be right about it.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Ellie," he started. "Today was really... It was one of those days. Those days where it changes your life." He paused, seeing if she would say anything. She didn't, so he continued. "When I saw you in danger, I realized that I could lose you. Just like I lost my first family. And I don't want that to happen! I... I love you, Ellie. I really love you."

The silence between the two could've scared a stone. She knew this, and she loved him too, but it seemed like too much.

"I love you too, Manny," she said. "But why here? Why now?"

"Ellie, I don't want anything to happen to you. I won't let anything happen to you. I... I want to be with you... Forever. Please..." He paused again, then finally managed to get the words out. "Ellie... Will you... Be my mate?" he asked.

It only took her a second to say, "Yes!"She trumpeted joyfully and smiled brightly. Manny's trumpet could be heard right after hers and his smile was equally happy.

Crash and Eddie bounded over to the two mammoths. Crash jumped onto Manny's face, causing him to start backing up.

"You better be good to her," said Crash. Manny took another step back, thinking that the possum would get off him if he did. "Because if you're not... I'll hunt you down. And you won't ever..." His sentence got cut off by Manny yelling.

"What are you doing!" he shouted at Eddie, realizing something was going on behind him. Eddie had tied a vine to a tree trunk and held it out as Manny was backing up. Just as the brothers planned, the giant mammal fell right on his rump. The twins started cracking up and raced back to Ellie.

Manny shook his head, then laughed lightly, feeling welcomed into the family. At least he knew the brothers approved of him.

Sid and Diego came over, realizing that it was their turn to congratulate the newly engaged couple.

"Hey," said Diego. "Congratulations. Best wishes. Invite me to the wedding." He wasn't going to waste time on sentimental things. His way was to the point and then done. Sid was a whole different story.

"So you two lovebirds," he cooed. "When's the big day? Can I come? Will I be invited? Does Diego have to be there? How will..."

"Sid," Manny cut him off. "Enough questions! We can talk about it in the morning. Let's just go to sleep for now."

Ellie looked up, having not even realized that the sun had went down. The small herd went into the forest for shelter and settled in for the night.

"You know," said Diego. "The mammoth population might not be in danger anymore, but you two could still..."

"Diego!" laughed Manny. "Just be patient! Everything will come around in time." He laid down next to Ellie and wrapped his trunk around her.

Crash and Eddie both hung upside down in the nearest tree. Sid slept next to them on the branches. Diego laid next to the tree on the ground. Manny and Ellie were only a few trees away, but the rest of them could hear the whole conversation.

"Really?" whispered Ellie.

"Yes, really," was Manny's reply. "I think that someday that's definitely a possibility."

"So you wouldn't mind?" she asked.

"Why would I mind? I will do anything for you," he said. "But not tonight. We really should wait until we're alone." There was a small silence between them.

"You know," she said. "I never really thought about having a baby until I was with you. You really brought out the best in me."

The othersheard the last few sentences and smiled.

'A baby wouldn't be that bad,'Diego thought. 'Having a small mammoth running around would be challenging, maybe even fun.'

'Eww, ick,' thought Sid. 'A baby, ew.' But he knew he was just kidding himself.

Crash and Eddie whispered between themselves. Crash thought it was cute that their sister and Manny wanted to start a family of their own. Eddie was just disgusted over it.

"Babies are cute,"whispered Crash. "Everbody loves them."

"Shh," Eddie interrupted. "They're talking again." They turned their ears to the mammoth's conversation again.

"Look," whispered Manny, pointing up with his trunk.

"What?"

"The stars," he said. "There's so many. It's like they're watching out for us."

"You're so silly," she said, snuggling closer to him. "But that's why I love you."

Manny looked down at her and whispered, "I love you too." They fell asleep together, under the stars.

**_The End_**

---

---

Ok, that chapter was a little rushed, but I was SO excited about finishing it! I don't usually finish stories that I start, this will probably be only the third out of hundreds of stories I've written that I've actually finished. I am SO happy... I really hope you all liked it and if you want, I'll start another story... I have a few ideas in mind already, but it you're all sick of me by now, just let me know:) lol. Well, goodnight, peace out, and all that good stuff... r&r?

-- Safi Kittykat

Ps. If any of you want an epilogue too, let me know, I'd be happy to write one!


	7. That's What Mammoths Are Supposed To Do

Epilogue: "That's What Mammoths Are Supposed To Do"

Disclaimer: If you've read this whole story already, then you ought to know that Ice Age and all it's characters from both movies belong to Blue Sky Studios and Twentieth Century Fox. Millie and Wallace (who are no longer around, but I love saying this part) belong to Funkywatermelon. Ok. Disclaimer done.

---

_One Year Later_

The small family kept migrating south. Eventually they found a place to call home. A place where there was no more danger. They were still the same friends they always were.

Crash and Eddie were both playing in the mud when Ellie called them in for supper. Manny and Sid were already eating. Diego had eaten earlier, before the rest of them, so as not to bother anyone with his eating habits. Crash and Eddie settled down at their sister's command and ate what Manny had provided them, which happened to be apples.

"Manny," said Ellie once everyone was done and getting ready for bed. "Could I talk to you for a few minutes?"

"Sure honey," he said. "What is it?" Ellie looked at the others, snuggling in for the night.

"I have to tell you something," she said. "But could we talk further away?"

"Yes, if that's what you want," replied Manny. They walked past some trees and out of earshot of the rest of the herd. It was dark, but the stars were shining brightly. The trees provided slight shelter for the couple to talk in privacy.

"Manny," she said when she was ready. "There's something you need to know." Manny smiled. He loved having private moments with his mate. There were never enough of them with Crash and Eddie always around.

"What is it Ellie?" he asked. She knew it would be hard for him, after his first family. But she also knew that he had to know what was going on.

"Do you remember that night when you first asked me to be your mate?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "How could I forget?"

"Well, that night we talked about... some things..." she said. Manny nodded and she continued. "You know, about our future and stuff."

"Yes," he said. "I remember."

"And there was the thing about a baby," she pressed on. Manny smiled gently.

"Are you trying to say that you're ready to try and start a family?" he asked, a seductive tone in buried deep in his voice. He wrapped his trunk around hers, pulling close to her.

"No," she said. "I'm saying _we're_ ready." Manny was not good at this game. He stepped back from her, waiting.

"So..." he said, letting his sentence trail, hoping she would fill the silence.

"So," she said, exasperated. "_We're_ ready Manny! We're _ready._ And we're ready _now._" She looked lovingly at her mate, hoping desperately that he would get the picture. She had tried so hard to break it to him gently, but he needed it flat out in his face.

"Ellie," he started. "I don't think I–"

"Manny I'm pregnant!" she interrupted. His eyes went wide. Stuck for words, all he could do was stare at her. Before she could say anything else, his eyes started to fill up with tears.

"Ellie," he whispered. "Ellie, I don't know what to say." Her eyes started to water as well. This wasn't how he was supposed to react!

"Say that you love me," she said. "Say you'll protect me. Say you'll stay with me." She paused, then put her trunk on her stomach and corrected her sentence, "With us."

Manny gently touched her face with his trunk and wiped away one of her tears. She reached up to take his trunk away from her face.

"I love you, Ellie," he said, saying each word slowly. He stepped closer to her. "I will protect you, Ellie." He lifted his trunk and brushed back her hair. "And I will stay with you, Ellie." He brought his trunk back down and wiped away another tear from her cheek. "Forever."

Ellie smiled, reassured by his loving words. She reached her trunk for his.

A small voice interrupted them, saying, "Ellie? Are you okay?" It was Eddie. He rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Don't cry Ellie. Manny's right here." He vaguely pointed in the direction of the big blob in front of him. She couldn't help but smile at her brother.

"I'm fine Eddie," she said. "But shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I couldn't sleep," he said. "Besides, you guys were up."

"We were just talking," said Manny. He glanced at Ellie, telling her to go ahead and spread the good news to their family.

"Eddie," she started. "I'm going to have a baby." The poor possum couldn't think of anything to say. He was stunned that his sister was going to be a mother.

"Wow," he said. "But that means..." He was interrupted by Crash, who had woken up too and had somehow overheard half the conversation and decided to finally chime in.

"We're gonna be UNCLES!" he yelled a little too loudly for night time. Ellie laughed lightly at her brother's sudden appearance and outburst.

"What are you gonna call it?" asked Eddie, excitedly. He wasn't even tired anymore. The good news had shaken him awake completely.

"We don't know yet," said Manny. "We just found out and need time to think of names first."

"I like the name Lori," said Sid, who had appeared out of noplace, just like Crash had. Manny chuckled a little bit at the fact that almost the whole herd had come out with them.

"We'll keep that in mind, Sid," said Manny. The group was quiet for a minute, almost expecting Diego to show up any second. But the tiger was sound asleep under the tree.

"I guess we'll tell him in the morning," said Ellie. "Crash, Eddie, now don't you two go spoil the surprise. Okay?"

"Okie," said Crash.

"Dokie," Eddie finished for him. The two walked back to the camp.

"We should be getting to bed," said Ellie. "Let's go." The rest walked back to where Diego was and settled in again. Ellie waited for Manny to lay down. As soon as he was comfortable, he motioned for her to lay next to him. She snuggled close next to him.

---

The next morning, Diego was the first one awake, mostly because he wasn't up all night. Manny was the first one up after him, and Ellie was up shortly after he withdrew from her. They took the opportunity to pull Diego aside. They wanted to tell him before the others woke up and spoiled all the fun.

"Morning Diego," said Ellie. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thanks," he said. "And you?"

"We slept fine once we actually got to sleep," she said.

"We were all up late. Talking," added Manny.

"Oh," inquired Diego. "About what?" Manny scratched his head with his trunk, as if thinking really hard to remember the conversation.

"You know," he said. "I don't remember anymore. It was so late, and I was really tired." Ellie stifled a giggle. Diego heard her try and cover it, so he knew that Manny was lying.

"Come on Manny," he said. "Just tell me. Is it something good? Are we going to move again? Is there a lot of food around?"

"Keep guessing," said Ellie. Her and Manny moved closer together and locked trunks.

"Umm," he thought aloud. "Did you two climb a tree?" He ran out of ideas quickly. He put on his best pouting look. "Just tell me already! I hate guessing games!" Manny glanced at Ellie, silently giving her the okay to tell him.

"Diego," she started. "How would you feel if we added another member to our herd?" His eyes lit up at the thought of someone else joining the herd. But the picture wasn't clear. He was just about as good at this as Manny.

"Sure," he said. "I wouldn't mind. Who is it? Have we met before?" Manny laughed.

"No, you've never met before," said Manny. "In fact, we don't even know it's name yet." Diego froze.

"You don't mean... You're not..." he stuttered. "Wow," was all he ended up saying. The look of shock on his face was all worth it to Manny.

Suddenly, Crash and Eddie fell right on to Diego's back, screaming the whole time.

"Isn't this great Diego?" "We're gonna be uncles!" "We'll have so much fun!" "Rolling in mud..." "...And eating bugs..." "...And not taking baths..." "...And staying up late..." "...And annoying Sid..."

The last one almost seemed to make Diego feel better. The possums went to high-five each other, but missed purposely. Crash fell right off Diego's back and onto the ground with a thud. Diego laughed a little bit, then shook a hysterical Eddie off his back as well, smiling at their enthusiasm.

"Yep," he said. "It'll be fun. Just like old times."

"Just like old times," came a familiar lisp. Sid had managed to find them and decided to join right in. "You guys really need to stop walking off. That's what we made camp for."

Manny smiled. He looked over his herd, his family. He knew that it couldn't get much better. He nuzzled his mate lovingly and gently locked his trunk with hers.

---

The End

(for real this time)

A/N: Wow, it was really kind of weird to write this chapter set so much later than the rest of the story. But with my cheesy writing skills, I'm sure you all predicted that this was coming anyways. I am such a sucker for romance... So, on the last note of this story: I saw Ice Age II: The Meltdown AGAIN... (That equals FOUR times, wow.) And I cried three times this time. That look on Manny's face is incredible each time. And when all the... (well, no spoilers, sorry) there's the happy part for Manny... That's just great, the music is timed perfectly... And then the magical trunk lock at the end too. Gets me every time...

Ok, everybody be on the lookout for some new stories coming soon! Hopefully a sequel to this one, another about Soto, one about 'behind-the-scenes' stuff (might take awhile), and another one about Crash & Eddie... I'm excited... If you like any of these best, just let me know which to start on first, and I'll get right to it! Anything to please my faithful readers! I love you all so much!

–Safi Kittykat


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